Gray Mice
by HotaruBia
Summary: A cute story about little Tobias meets little Beatrice in Abnegation. A bunch of one-shots.


I don't like when Marcus has to work on Sundays. It happens more often nowadays - he doesn't just spend Saturdays at the Hub, but the whole weekend. It means I have to do all of the housework. I know he isn't a good husband, but at least he does his share of the chores, as an Abnegation man should.

On the other hand, he's angrier when he comes home at the end of these days, and I'm afraid of the consequences.

Today, I'm the one who must carry canned peas to the Factionless, and I'll have to take Tobias with me because the daycare isn't open on the weekend. But I wouldn't leave him with Marcus even if I could.

It's late autumn, so an icy wind blows outside. Tobias is hopping on his little feet near the front door. He's almost three years old, but so small... I know it's not true, but in my mind, he's still that tiny baby who cried loudly when he was laid in my arms.

"Mommy!" he squeals as I put a hat on his head, hiding his short-but-messy hair. I wrap a scarf around his neck as well, to keep him from getting cold, and then button up his gray coat. He makes a face. "Why I have to put so much clothes on? It isn't snowing yet," he protests, sounding disappointed.

I chuckle. Tobias loved winter last year, when snow covered the streets and I could barely persuade him to come back to the warmth of the house after two hours of playing.

"It's not snowing, yes, but it's cold outside, sweetie." I stroke his cheek before we step into the wind. Tobias's little hand is shaking on my fingers as soon as he feels the freezing temperature. "See, we need these clothes."

He gives me a toothy smile; his eyes shine brightly, too. I love my son's job, his innocent cheer. I feel like his happiness is contagious when we're alone. But if Marcus is there, too, I'm always scared of when Tobias's father will turn into that monster.

Luckily, Marcus hasn't laid a finger on his son - yet. His punches have been for me.  
Nevertheless, I sometimes feel I can't look at my own son because he looks too much like his father.

"I don' wanna go there, Mommy!" Tobias cries after I tell him where we're going.

"Why not?"

"It's a scary place," he mumbles in his thin voice as his cheeks turn red. "People so sad there."  
I squeeze his little hand.

"That's why we take them food, so they'll be happy." I send him a promising smile, then I lean closer to him and lower my voice. "And you can run a little if you want, while we're there."

He looks frightened, like I've said something horrible. He isn't allowed to run around in the daycare, I know.

"But it's not..."

"I'll let you. Just don't tell your father, or he'll be angry."

"I don' like when Dad angry," he says quietly.

"Me neither, sweetheart."

Often, after a fight (or a beating), I'll find Tobias in the corner of his room, terrified of our shouting. His cheeks will shine with tears, and he'll hug his pillow tightly. When that happens - after he's sure his father isn't there, just me - Tobias will run into my arms and put his arms around me.

We walk slowly across the stone streets. Tobias stays by my side because of the cold weather. The sky is covered with steel-gray clouds as a promise for rain.

As we get closer, I begin to see a figure in front of us. At first, I can't recognize the face due to the fog, but a minute later I'm sure who she is: my husband's co-worker, Andrew Prior's wife. Natalie. A little boy, not too much younger than my son, clutches Natalie's ankle-length dress. Her arms hide a baby girl, who's dressed in a thick coat with a huge hat on her head. The girl's small knuckles grasp her mother's jacket.

These kids looks exactly like my son in our faction's clothes: like gray mice.

"Good morning, Evelyn," the young woman greets me with a smile.

We're around the same age, neither of us thirty or even twenty-five yet. But the Abnegation usually get married and start families in their early twenties, so it's not unusual that we're so young. She and I aren't really friends, though we have a smooth relationship thanks to our husbands' friendship and a few dinners together in our houses. But these dinners have been cancelled ever since I got pregnant with Tobias.

"Good morning, Natalie," I reply in a kind voice.

Sometimes I hate her because of her perfect marriage. Andrew truly is a good man, like Marcus was in the beginning of our relationship. Before he became this unbearable man.

"Hey, Tobias." She smiles at my son, who is still holding my hand. "This kid grows so fast, Evelyn!"

"Just like your children." I laugh nervously. I know she's right; Tobias needs bigger clothes again.

"Caleb is already a man. And your daughter was just born! She's grown so much."

Natalie blushes, seeming proud of her kids. She pats her son's head with one hand and hugs her daughter closer with the other. Caleb stares at me shyly, then hides behind his mother's skirt. He'll be two years old soon, if I remember correctly, but he's still a reserved boy. My Tobias is the opposite. He's interested in everything, and he isn't shy around adults. He's pulling my sleeve now.

"Can I see her, Mommy?" He glances at me with his blue eyes, which look exactly the same as the ones I fell in love with. Tobias points at the baby in Natalie's arms.

"If Aunt Natalie allows," I say. Tobias looks at her with pleading eyes.

"Sure," she replies, and my boy runs toward her, despite the fact that I've told him so many times not to run in front of others.

Natalie crouches down so Tobias can see the baby properly. I step closer to them. I haven't seen this little girl since she was born.

"She's so cute!" my son says with joy.

He's right. The girl really is sweet. Her grayish-blue eyes shine on her round face, and blond locks of hair fall to her forehead.

"What's your name?" Tobias asks her. When he doesn't get an answer, he pokes the baby's pink cheek with his fingertip. "You don' wanna say it?"

She starts to babble.

"Is that your name?"

"Tobias," I warn him.

"No problem, Evelyn." Natalie waves it away, then turns back to my son. "Her name is Beatrice, and she can't speak yet, Tobias."

"So that's why she makes funny noises? But why can't she speak? I want to talk to her."

"You know, honey, babies can only communicate in their own language. But little Beatrice will learn to speak soon," I explain. I wonder why he hasn't met babies in the daycare before.

"Great!" He jumps up and down with joy, then leans over the little girl and grabs her tiny hand. "Hi, Beatrice." He says her name a little strangely. "I'm Tobias."

As if to reply, the little girl grabs his finger, brings it to her mouth, and starts to chew it. We laugh - Tobias, too, even though a small tooth print will be on his finger all day.

THE END

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 **A/N: I'm not a native speaker but _your-sky-your-limit_ helped to correct the mistakes. Thank you. ^.^**

 **I hope you guys like this short story. I love those fanfic where Tris and Tobias met in Abnegation. Their fathers worked together, strange they didn't really meet before Tris arrived at Dauntless.**

 **I would be happy if you leave a review and thanks for you read it. Maybe you want to follow this story because I'll update some other cute one-shots here in the near future.**


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